Electric-lamp receptacle.



PiTENfED "JAN. 7, 1908.

ELECTRIC LAMP REGEPTAGLE.

H. E? PLASS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1907.

WITNESS ES M M ATTORN E Y5 'HE mmms PETERS cm, vusnmammn. c.

UNiTED STATES HERBERT E. PLASS, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 'IO HOWARD MINIATURE LAMP COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC-LAMP RECEPTACLE.

Patented Jan. 7,1 908.

Apnlication filed August 1. 1907. Serial No. 386-536.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT E. PLAss, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city of Newark, in the county of Essex, in the State of New Jersey, have receptacle which can be wired up without the use of any tools, and one which is especially well adapted for miniature lamps in 7 Christmas tree decorations and the like.

This object I attain by the construction which I will now describe.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view of the receptacle where its parts are fitted together; Fig. 2 is a sectional view drawn to a larger scale, and showing the three parts of the socket apart; Fig. 3 is a rear face view of the cup or body part of the receptacle; Fig. 4 is an inner face view of the cap; and Fig. 5 is a top view of the securing nut.

The cup part A of the receptacle is of porcelain'or other insulating material, and

contains the lamp-receiving terminals consisting of a screw shell or and a central terminal bwhich in this case is the head of a screw B. These terminals are insulated from each other by a suitable disk 0. To the shell is soldered or brazed or otherwise permanently secured a contact prong a projecting out of the back of the rece tacle.

A screw B is threaded t rough a plate D let into a recess in the porcelain and projecting laterally to that side of the receptacle which is diametrically opposite the prong a. This plate D carries asimilarbackwardly g d. It will be noted that projecting pron y threa ing the screw B through the late D, not only is the head of the screw he d up firmly against the shell, but the plate D is kept securely in its recess and is thus revented from swinging out of place and s ort circuiting the contact prongs a} and d. The same would be true even were the porcelain not recessed to receive the plate. The cap E is also preferably of porcelain and has a central opening e for the free passage therethrough of the rearwardly projecting stem of the central screw B, and it also has recesses e for the reception of the prongs a and d.

The adjacent faces of the back of the receptacle and of the cap E are provided with corresponding grooves f, f, for thereception and d occur. Back of the cap I provide a securing nut G, which is mainly of insulating material, but is providedwith a recess in the top to receive a square metallic nut g threaded to receive-the end of the screw B. The space above this metallic nut is filled with a nonconducting cement m to prevent accidental contact with the nut or screw. To wire up one of these receptacles it is simply necessary to lay the insulated wires in the grooves f, f, and screw up the nut G by hand. Vhereupon the prongs will pass through the insulation and into eTectric contact with the wires beneath.

If a lamp is inserted in the socket before attempting to attach the same to the wires, it may be determined at once, and before screwing on the nut, whether 'or not the prongs are in contact with the live wires, since at the moment of contact the lamps light up. The nut may be then screwed with the assurance that no readjustment will be necessary. No tools are required for this, and there is conse uently no liability to short circuiting, suc as is the case where a screw driver or the like is employed. Nor is there any danger to the person wiring as the metallic parts are entirely protected.

I claim as my invention 1. An electric lamp receptacle, comprising a cup part containing the lamp terminals with rearwardly projecting pron -s and screw, a cooperating cap and a nut t eaded onto the screw and adapted to be turned by hand to hold the cap in place.

2. An electric lamp receptacle comprising a cup part containing lamp terminals with rearwardly projecting prongs and screw, a cooperating cap with an insulated nut threaded on to the screw and adapted tcl be turned by hand to hold the cap in P In testimony whereof I have signed my name to 'thisspecification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT E. PLASS.

Witnesses 2 WALTER ABBE, WILLIAM ABBE.

of the insulated wires where the prongs a I 

